12/22/2003 -- If you have been lucky enough to see Andy during one of his various appearances this offseason, you should have noticed that he is quite simply in the best physical shape of his young life. To his credit, while it was certainly time to put the racquet down for a little while, Andy has been working his butt off to make himself leaner and meaner, but also much stronger, during the past six weeks. The man, or should I say mate, who has been working with Andy, is a young Australian named Marc Seymour. As Andy and Marc, have developed a close friendship, I thought it would be neat to speak with Marc, and let all you Roddick fans get to know the guy who has spent more time with Andy than anybody recently.

Marc and his family are from Sydney, Australia. That is where he was living when the Olympics came to his hometown in 2000. At the time, Marc had been working as a trainer for the Australian Men’s National Basketball team, and took advantage of the opportunity to get to know some of the US basketball officials and players during the Sydney Olympics. Keith Jones, the head trainer for the US team, took a liking to Marc, and as Keith was working with the Houston Rockets, he invited Marc to come join his staff in Houston. When Marc said this I immediately figured out how this position led him into tennis. Not only does the West Side Tennis Club host an ATP event, and have an incredibly expansive tennis program, but it also is the official practice facility for the Rockets. Needless to say, it was not long before Marc was working with several tennis players, incorporating many of the same exercises that he used for basketball players.

Andy and Marc met during the US Clay Court Championships a few years ago. At that time, Andy was experiencing some problems with his knee. Marc said, “I showed him a few things, a few new exercises to try while on the road, and when he came back to Houston the next year, he told me he had been doing the exercises, and they worked!” Since then, whenever Andy has returned to Houston, they have gotten along well, and during his most recent visit for the Tennis Masters Cup, Andy made arrangements to have Marc stay with him in Austin to work him out.

Marc has had Andy sprinting up hills, lifting weights, and much to Andy’s liking, has been incorporating many of his standard basketball drills. This combination is making Andy faster, more agile, and stronger too. One thing in particular Andy has been proud of is his new “6-pack.” Although, you still won’t see Andy practicing without his shirt on, you might see him show off chiseled abs.

Below is a brief Q and A I had with Marc on the phone.

Q: Who would win in a fight, you or Andy?

A: Without a question, I would.

Q: What has surprised you most about Andy?

A: (Thought about this for a bit) His laid-back attitude. He’s very down-to-earth. Hanging out with him is like hanging out with one of my mates.

Q: What has impressed you most about Andy?

A: How he deals with all the requests that he gets, and that’s a lot. If people ask for an autograph or a photo with him, he acknowledges them, and is very sincere. He also always says thank you. For 21, it is actually quite unbelievable how mature he is about the attention he receives. I have worked with many athletes, and I can say honestly, that he is one of the best at this.

Q: As you spent Thanksgiving with the Roddicks in San Antonio, what can you say about their family?

A: They are a very closely knit bunch who love to have fun. For me personally, they were very welcoming, and I really appreciated that. I had a great time!

There are plenty of hills to run in west Austin. I wonder what neighborhood he is living in. So many of those celebrities live around Lake Travis. I don't really think of Lake Travis as Austin, but whatever.

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